Did You Forget?
by SpellboundMuggle
Summary: *Taken place after X-M3* Rogue decides it is her time to leave her sanctuary at Xavier school, with those lost, she feels she can do no good. Back into her run away life Rogue is thrown into the Brotherhood and into the arms of John. Rated T for language.
1. Time

Chapter 1: Time.

Rogue sat nervously on the end of her bed. She could hear the distant chatter down the hall. The return of the school had raised everyone's hopes, but not hers. At the foot of her bed post she had a black bag ready and packed, from her journey home. Everyone needed to know where she had been, it would not be long until they asked. She took a deep steadying breath,

_Come on Rogue, you can do this,_

She jumped up when she heard her door swing open,

'Rogue?'

Bobby stood in the doorway, his fist grasping the door handle as if ready to make his sudden escape. Rogue noticed, her eyes slightly narrowing. Bobby's azure eyes glistened sadly as he took a hesitant step into the room.

'Rogue I didn't want this,' Bobby's voice broke slightly. Rogue's eyes widened, why was he acting like this,

'Excuse me?' she whispered silently.

'I didn't want you to take the cure,' another step placed him further in the room. Rogue's cheeks flushed slightly as she realised what he was finally getting at, anger trembled through her body,

'That wasn't your choice,' she muttered, 'it was mine, but I'd rather you didn't jump to conclusions,' Rogue watched as Bobby's eyes widened in surprise,

'You didn't? But I saw you.. I followed-'

'Yes! I know you followed me,' she interrupted, her voice raising slightly, 'If it wasn't for Johnny blowing the place up, I would have taken the damn shot!' She grabbed her bag and stormed past him. Bobby followed her down the hall,

'Where the hell do you think you're going?' he demanded, striding after her.

'I'm going to thank Johnny myself,' she grumbled.

'Pyro's dead,' he stated impassively, pulling Rogue to a halt. She slowly turned to face him,

'What?'

'He's dead. I'm sorry, we fought and he lost,' Bobby shrugged simply. Rogue felt her hands shaking around her bag strap, but she could not find the words to yell at him. Instead she carried on walking, holding back the tears that threatened to humiliate her, 'I didn't mean to!' Bobby called after her, 'I've finally discovered how to control my powers!'

'Leave her Bobby,' Logan's stern voice suddenly cut over him. Rogue smiled weakly as she pushed her way through the front doors, Logan always knew exactly what to say. She could feel sets of eyes stalking her as she trudged through the gardens, the gravestones were the most haunting images as she walked under the trees, they seemed to glare at her the most,

_Sorry professor, but it's time. _

Rogue had no idea where she was going. She summed up her options, but each came with a heavy drawback. It was back to square one, with the only improvement of her powers. The release of the bus shocked her back to reality. She dropped the coins into the drivers hand and sat at the back of the bus. She pulled out two black leather gloves and pulled them on slowly. She needed to get away from this area, from this place. Maybe to another town, or better still another country – she had the money she needed, this could be her opportunity. The bus lumbered its way towards the city, but eventually Rogue could see the colourless, ashen buildings rushing past her. The bus breathed at its final stop as the passengers filed out onto the busy streets. Rogue was the last to step of the bus, she adjusted her bag then marched towards the steps that dove underground.

The underground tube unnerved her slightly, she felt closed in with so many people pushing past her. The oversized clock stated her train would arrive in twenty minutes, allowing her a chance to sit down and contemplate her actions. She wondered if anyone would follow her, try to stop her at the last minute. She watched so many pass her, without a care in the world – trouble free, she ached for that so much. The tunnel was crowded, her eyes scanned under the florescent lights, until something caught her eye. At first she was sure she was seeing things, a ghost perhaps, but no.

_It couldn't be.._


	2. Too Late Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**A/N: I didn't think anyone would want to read this never mind favorite it :P But thankyou anyway. Read and Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Too late now..**

At the far end of the tunnel, pressed against the yellow wall sat a young man. His dirty blonde hair fell into his deepening brown eyes. He seemed distant from the world around him, and he seemed to blend with his dark jeans and black jacket. What caught her eye was a small flickering coming from his hand as he casually flicked a silver lighter. Rogue could not stop her heart accelerating in her chest...

'Johnny..' she whispered to herself. She kicked herself away from the wall and ran towards him, elbowing average people out of the way. He did not move, even when she stood but a few feet from him. She suddenly felt foolish; this was the guy who had turned his back on them, walked away, fought against them,

'You're alive?' she demanded quietly. His head snapped up and a small smile eased his features,

'Rogue,' he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

'You are alive?' she repeated sitting down next to him.

'Yeah, just,' he smirked to himself, 'after ice-man knocked me out, I figured I had to get out of there and fast. Once I was out, I had no idea of where to go, been roaming the streets since. Making money where I can,' he pause, still gazing at her in disbelief, 'how about you? On the run _again_?' he nodded to the bag she clutched against her arm. Rogue sighed quietly,

'Not on the run, just leaving,' she glanced up at the over-sized clock – ten minutes till her train left, 'for good,' she added silently. Rogue sat awkwardly, hunched against the wall with her bag digging into her shoulder. She kept her attention fully on the ridiculous clock, watching the hands tick by ever so slowly, but she could feel John's eyes staring into her and did not dare turn to meet them. She could not explain her irrational behaviour, why was she so eager to talk to him? He suddenly began to flick the lighter yet again, in time with the ticking of the clock. When the clock finally hit 12 she jumped up suddenly,

'Well, it was great seeing you again,' she turned to face him, but he was allready standing, his brown eyes full of apprehension.

'Where are you going?' he asked quietly, Rogue did not have time for his queries, she needed to run, to catch the train, before they came looking for her..

'I don't know,' she fumbled with her bag, beginning to walk away from him. But he pulled her arm back gently,

'Come with me,' he muttered. Rogue stopped, she had not seen this coming, this sudden offer from her alleged enemy. She could feel his hand still holding her arm, his lips pursed slightly as he waited for her answer. If she went with him, what would Bobby think?

_Bobby wouldn't care, _she thought miserably. Against all odds, she realised just how much Bobby had meant to her, his face twisting through her mind,

'Please Rogue,' John insisted, interupting her thoughts, 'I want to help you,'

Rogue glanced at the clock - five past.

_Too late now..._

'Fine then,' she agreed, 'where are we going?'

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	3. Chessboard

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything._

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'_Fine then,' she agreed, 'where are we going?' _

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**Chapter 3: Chessboard.**

Rogue gripped the silver pole tightly as the train shook slightly. She tried her hardest to ignore John; he just stared at her insistently. She attempted to distract him but it only made his gaze more intense,

'I like your hair,' she commented, she was not lying; his now blond hair seemed to enhance his russet eyes, yet such a clash with his dull appearance.

'Thanks,' he muttered, messing his hair self-conscientiously, he smiled to himself for a few seconds then carried on staring at her. Surely, there must have been something wrong, she thought.

'Have I got something on my face?' she hissed quietly,

'No, why?' He smirked, holding her gaze.

'Never mind,' she muttered, turning away from his burning eyes. She let her hair fall, creating a curtain between them,

'I wish you would stop hiding from me,' he mumbled to himself, he got up suddenly,

'This is our stop,' John announced, striding through the sliding doors. Rogue followed after him, apologising to the people he carelessly elbowed aside,

'You know, you could try being more polite,' she said, when she finally caught up with him. He ignored her and carried on up the paved steps. She began to wonder why his expression was bothering her, when his attitude was just as bad. Her mind flitted to Bobby, his azure eyes burning as he pushed a strand of hair off _Kitty's_ face...

When they reached the surface Rogue realised how far downtown they had travelled. The buildings around her were grotty even in the daylight; barely anyone passed them by, no cars queued in the road. A deadly silence echoed around them. Across the street she noticed a large park, its elegant black gates open for the public. It seemed far too exquisite for this run-down area.

'Come on, it's over here,' John muttered. Mindlessly, he grabbed her hand and towed her across the road. He had obviously gained a lot of confidence with his change to the other side, but as much as Rogue wanted to she didn't move her hand. It felt comfortable and... Perfect, like it was _meant_ to be there. She blushed slightly as she pushed that thought aside and concentrated on where John was taking her. They had passed through the elegant park gates and were in a sea of greenery. He tugged her along gently until they reached a giant oak tree, throwing its branches out into the sun. John stopped abruptly, glancing around,

'John, what's wrong? Why are we stopping here?' Rogue asked, whipping her head around expecting a sudden attack through the silence. John elbowed her slightly and pointed to the far right of her. Just underneath the shadow of the oak, a man sat bent over a chess board. He looked as if he was hiding, his eyes shadowed by his grey hat. Unknowingly, Rogue shivered. John squeezed her gloved hand, unnatural warmth spreading through her.

She watched the old man carefully, he barely moved. If it was not for the gentle rising and falling of his shoulders she would have sworn he was dead. Unexpectedly, he rose his left hand, hovering it over a metal king chess piece. Rogue watched in complete awe, as the king twitched then dropped with a dull 'clunk' onto the chessboard. The man let out a short laugh, which reverberated in Rogue's ears,

'Impossible,' she whispered, as the man returned to staring at the chess board, 'Magneto.'

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	4. Twenty Two

_Disclaimer : I don't own anything._

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'_Impossible,' she whispered, as the man returned to staring at the chess board, 'Magneto.'_

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**Chapter 4: 22**

'John.. why are we here?' Rogue whispered, warily watching the man, as he kept his head bent low over the chessboard.

' Magneto wants to rebuild us,'

'He can't rebuild you,' her voice began to raise, a slight hysteria threatened to break through, 'his powers were destroyed, Logan told me, he's nothing now,'

'Does he look like his powers have been destroyed?'

'This man tried to kill me,' Rogue hissed, she yanked her hand from his and began to walk away.

'He can help you, don't you want the freedom to touch again?' her feet stopped, but her mind whirled; would he be able to help her? A way to keep her powers but control them. John began to walk away from her, taking her silence as rejection. Rogue took a sharp intake of breath and began to follow him. The man shuffled his shoulders when he turned to look at them,

'You came,' he said, eyeing John mean fully. His gaze fell upon Rogue and a small smile played in the corner of his mouth. 'and you bought company,' Rogue snorted at him, refusing to meet his gaze.

'We need all the help we can get,' John agreed. The old man leaned back, the light reflecting against his blue eyes. To Rogue, he didn't look dangerous, he looked --- normal. Something he seemed completely uncomfortable with.

'Where are you staying at the moment?' Magneto asked, beginning to stand up. Rogue was so tempted to help him, he looked feeble; his back slightly bent, his hands shaking. But he stood up easily without any support.

'No-where, the streets mainly,' John answered.

'There's a place down the road, number 22 I think,' Magneto muttered. A key suddenly appeared in Magneto's hand. Rogue eyed him suspiciously, how was he doing this? The shot was _supposed _to cure the mutants, yet Magneto stood before her slowly regaining his powers. Could this have happened to her, if she had taken the cure? She shuddered at the thought. John took the key and began to stride away, Rogue hesitated, then ran after him. She kept a short pace behind him, as they passed through the gates she tossed a glance back, the park was empty.

'Where's he gone?' she asked bewildered.

'I'm not the only one he needs to meet,' he replied, obviously unconcerned. He looked across the street at the numbers painted on the doors, '2,3..' he murmured, 'it must be down here, come on,' he took her hand and that feeling returned. She felt the sense of security run through her as John tugged her down the street.

They finally reached a three-storied house with a black door stating the numbers '22' on it. John grinned as he unlocked the door, obviously pleased with himself, Rogue raised her eyebrow, it wasn't _that_ hard to find the house.

The house was nothing special; empty with the exception of a few household appliances. The kitchen smelt suspiciously of damp and the front room had rot spreading through the walls. It held six bedrooms with a bathroom on each floor. Rogue choked, her heart plummeting, she was expected to live in this dump. John noticed her sudden change in mood,

'Do you want to pick your room?' he asked quiety. She toured each of the six rooms and decided on the last room. It was on the third floor and faced out over the streets, she could see the park, the main roads and if she squinted past the looming buildings she noticed the small break of the ocean. The room was a lot smaller than the others but it felt more comfortable to her. Placing her bag down gingerly on the carpet she turned to face John. He was leaning against the door frame, staring at her intently.

That's when it hit.

That's when she realised _why_ he had been grinning, the whole house empty, apart from two...

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A/N: Thankyou all you guys for favoriting and reviewing it means alot :) let's get the Ryro stories out there!! :P


	5. Brotherhood

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**A/N: So so so so SO sorry about the wait guys :( but i hope you like this chapter.**

Placing her bag down gingerly on the carpet she turned to face John. He was leaning against the door frame, staring at her intently.

That's when it hit.

That's when she realised _why_ he had been grinning, the whole house empty, apart from two...

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**Chapter 5: Brotherhood**

_Don't panic, don't panic, _she chanted in her head, _If he touches me he'll die..._ Rogue bit her lip, she didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted to touch him so badly...

On the other side of the room, John seemed to be having the same mental battle. He took a hesitant step towards her,

'Rogue, I-'

BANG! The house shook as the door slammed open downstairs,

'Oi! John! You here?' a voice yelled up the stairs,

'Shit,' John mumbled, disappearing from the doorway. Rogue followed slowly after him, as she walked down the grubby stairway she walked into a full blown argument.

'- you shouldn't have bought her here, she's one of them!' standing in front of a door hanging off its hinges were three people she had never seen before. She could only assume they were mutants like herself. There was a small golden haired girl standing next to a dangerously large man, who both seemed to be out of the argument. In front of them stood a dark skinned women, her short black hair was pushed out of her eyes, which were glaring at John.

John stood at the bottom step defiantly, his arms folded,

'Don't be stupid, Eric knows she's here. You know he's going to be angry at you for breaking the door,' he muttered casually. The women growled, before striding into the house as if she owned it. The man at the door coughed awkwardly before placing the door back in its rightful place. John turned around and smiled at Rogue ruefully,

'Rogue, this is Sam Guthrie and Layla Miller. And that delightful lady who just stormed past, is Cynthia Lock,'

'Great to meet you,' Rogue waved self-consciously, Sam nodded his blonde head before turning back to adjust the door. However, Layla was much more eager,

'Hey Rogue! We've heard all about you, it's so great to have you on our side, what's it like not touching people, don't you find it -'

'Ok that's enough,' John interrupted, jumping off the step, 'Would you like some lunch Rogue?'

Rogue followed reluctantly to the grungy kitchen, sitting on an abstract wooden chair. Layla followed behind undeterred,

'So... uh... what do you do?' Rogue asked her, whilst John fiddled with the oven, watching a blue flame flicker then vanish. Layla's light blue eyes lit up, she leaned in close,

'I can resurrect people,' she whispered, then giggled loudly. Rogue sat in awe, of course she would be important, bringing back those lost. John lost his patience and he kicked the oven, a large orange flame flew into the air and licked the ceiling. John sat down next to Rogue his eyebrows furrowed.

'I think that's a bit over the top,' Sam indicated to the flame as he walked into the kitchen. John murmured something indistinct and the flame began to drop. Sam scoured the fridge, pulling out a box of eggs, he plonked a metal pan onto the orange flame.

'Do you have any idea what time he's going to be back?' John asked impatiently.

'Sometime later on, it depends who meets him,' Sam answered flicking the eggs onto different plates. Rogue assumed they were talking about Eric, the house was silent apart from Cynthia who was banging around up the stairs,

'What the hell is she doing up there?' Layla asked, as Sam placed five plates on the table.

'Picking a room,' Sam answered, joining us at the table. They began to devour their eggs, Rogue stared at them incredulously,

'Is no-one going to ask her to join us?' the three looked at her with the same confused expression on their face.

'She'll join us when she's finished having her tantrum,' Sam smiled, returning his attention to his eggs. Rogue chewed slowly, not believing that these people were evil. They were exactly like the mutants at school. She placed her fork on her plate, realizing that John was gazing at her again, an ashamed look on his face,

'Thanks for that Sam, they were delicious,'

The silence in the house was broken by the front door opening and the sound of footsteps reached her ears. Magneto appeared in the kitchen, with two other mutants, Rogue recoiled in horror at the face of the first mutant; it bore the face of a wolf and the body of a women. It had large yellow eyes that darted around the room, but it stood with it's hands on it's hips. The second was a deadly skinny man with limp hair flat to his head. He stood uncomfortably behind Magneto, his terrified eyes fixed on the wolf-women next to him. Rogue glanced at John and noticed his same horrified expression to these two strangers.

'Woflsbane and Derec,' Magneto drawled waving his hands at the strangers.

Rogue felt the need to run, to get away. This was not right, the brotherhood had finally arrived and she did not want any part of the hideous pack.

'I have to go to my room,' she announced abruptly, before practically running out of the room. As she stalked up the stairs, Cynthia stormed past her knocking her against the stairs. Without thinking Rogue reached out to steady herself, touching Cynthia's arm. Rogue froze and waited for Cynthia to drop. But Cynthia just glared at her before snapping,

'Get off me!' She pushed Rogue's hand off her arm and continued down the stairs.

Rogue felt faint, she drifted to her room and slumped against the wall. She had touched someone and they had not been harmed. She should have collapsed on the spot. A thought struck her, Cynthia was immune to her powers.

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**A/N: Sorry about the wait guys, but i have actually been really busy and then something happened to microsoft word and it decided it hated me and never wants to work :P But now i'm finally on a roll :P let me know what you guys think of the chapter, it would really help x**


	6. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

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**'Get off me!' She pushed Rogue's hand off her arm and continued down the stairs.**

**Rogue felt faint, she drifted to her room and slumped against the wall. She had touched someone and they had not been harmed. She should have collapsed on the spot. A thought struck her, Cynthia was immune to her powers.**

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**Chapter 6: Sweet dreams.**

'Hey Rogue,' a voice called softly from the other side of her room. She had not realized that John had followed her up the stairs.

'I want to go home John,' she whispered, pushing herself up, 'I've made a mistake coming here, these aren't my people,'

John stared at her in disbelief,

'Don't say that, you're safe here,'

'But it's not right. This is not a group, it's a pack' Rogue spat.

'I'm sorry to hear you feel that way,' a voice cut in. Next to John stood Magneto, his hat had been removed revealing his white whispy hair. Rogue felt the atmosphere tense, 'I think you would make a great addition to this pack,' Rogue's eyes narrowed, she did not want to be compared to the hideous, murdering mutants down the stairs, 'I know of one who would beg for you to stay.' Magneto turned his head slightly to John, in which John lowered his eyes embarrassed. Rogue relaxed slightly John's reaction was almost touching.

'Magneto, I have no-where to go,' Rogue insisted.

'Please, call me Eric.' He interrupted.

'But I do not belong with these people,' Rogue stated pointedly.

'If you want to leave then you may, but we are here as a haven for you, after all you have no-where else to go,' Eric gave her a meaningful look and dissolved from John's side, leaving Rogue to contemplate his words. John still remained with his eyes boring into the floor, he was mortified by Eric's comment. Rogue noticed the shadows on his face had darkened, outside night had began to fall. Rogue sighed and sat on her flimsy bed. John hesitated then stepped into the bedroom, gripping onto the bed post awkwardly.

'Would you honestly want me to stay?' Rogue whispered, fiddling with the white strand that flowed through her hair.

John cleared his throat slightly before muttering, 'it's up to you,' Rogue listened to his jeans scuff against the floor, as he left her alone in the room. Rogue fell back on the bed, using her bag as a make-shift pillow. She was so confused. Nothing made sense. If she stayed she knew she would have to fight, perhaps even kill others. But if she left, she was just another mutant, weak and alone. Rogue closed her eyes, her thoughts buzzing around her head, slowly she began to fall into darkness, sleeping soundly.

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Rogue awoke with a start; her worries had merged into her dreams, to horrify her even more. She dreamed she was standing in a black room with Bobby approaching her, insisting on taking her back,

'Stop it Bobby! Leave me alone!' she shouted at him. He stopped a stunned look on his face, before he turned into John. John stood before her with the same stunned expression Bobby had worn, he turned his back and started walking away. Rogue felt guilt rushing through her and tried to run after him, but she could not move. Realizing he was going to leave her in the darkness, she used all her strength to try to pursue him, but she was not fast enough. He began to fade against the darkness, when she finally bolted out of her dreams. Sweat was running from her forehead and she was panting slightly. It was still dark outside, only the moon reflected against the window, lighting up the room in an eerie silver manner. Rogue had no intention of falling back to sleep, so she sat quietly trying to calm herself down. It was then that she heard the whispers, her head shot up as she listened intently. The voices were coming from the room below. She slipped out of bed and padded across the room, trying to make as little noise as possible she tip-toed down the stairs. Stopping on the second floor, she pin-pointed the voices, sat on the bottom step and listened.

'...although she may want to leave in the morning,' the first voice Rogue recognized as Eric's.

'How can I stop her? I don't want her to leave,' Rogue gasped when she realized the second voice belonged to John. There was a pause in the room and Rogue's heart pounded, worrying if they had heard her sharp intake of breath.

'You love her,' Eric accused mildly, John remained quiet whilst Rogue felt her cheeks burning, a small smile spreading across her face. 'Well, if that's the case then you should tell her how you feel, try not to scare her off though,' Eric finished pointedly.

'Why is Layla here?' John asked hurriedly, trying to change the subject, 'The dead will hold no value to us,'

'Layla has the ability to resurrect people, understand?' there was a pause, in which Rogue presumed John had nodded, 'Well, what if she can resurrect ... Ability's,' Rogue concentrated on his words, and why Eric had put so much emphasis on _ability's, _surely it has a hidden meaning?

'I don't think I'm following,' John muttered, echoing Rogue's thoughts. Eric sighed impatiently.

'I mean, Layla could resurrect me. She could bring my ability back to life. She could make me a mutant again,' Rogue caught her breath as she heard footsteps heading towards her, she quickly darted back up the stairs and shut her bedroom door. Her heart was pounding, she prayed no-one had seen her, it was shameful enough that she had been eavesdropping. However the footsteps were ascending the stairs, so she quickly jumped on her bed and clenched her eyes shut, trying to slow her breathing. The door opened slightly, pouring in another amount of silver to the room. Footsteps padded gently across the floor, jeans scuffing against the wooden floorboards. Rogue knew, without opening her eyes that it was John. He stopped by her bedside and she suddenly felt a blanket being carefully draped across her. Then he slowly shuffled out of the room before stopping at the door,

'Sweet dreams, Rogue,' he whispered, before closing the door with a gentle _click. _

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**A/N: Hey guys, I know there a quite a few people who like this story, but i'm barely getting any reviews which is you know not exactly encouraging. So if you guys don't review then i won't finish the story -- i know it's unfair but come on guys i love hearing your ideas even if you hate it :) x**


	7. Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, i feel really bad for saying that before, but all i wanted to know was if people are enjoying the story. I'm truly sorry if I've offended anyone. Anyway thankyou for your comments i will try and make the chapters longer :)**

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**Rogue knew, without opening her eyes that it was John. He stopped by her bedside and she suddenly felt a blanket being carefully draped across her. Then he slowly shuffled out of the room before stopping at the door, **

**'Sweet dreams, Rogue,' he whispered, before closing the door with a gentle _click._**

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**Chapter 7: Plan.**

Rogue woke, her room was golden from the sunlight filtering through the window. For once, since she had been there, she felt relaxed and secure. She changed her clothes silently, but kept on her black leather gloves. Tying her hair up, she jumped when an unexpected bang came from below her. Nervously, she walked down the stairs where she could hear raised voices,

'If you do that one more time I swear I will rip your head off!' a voice shrieked, she recognized it as Layla. It was a shock to Rogue hearing Layla's voice so shrill and aggravated. In response there was a guttural growling. Rogue hurried down the stairs, rushing into the kitchen; as expected Layla was in a heated argument with the strange wolf women. Sam sat reclined back with his feet balancing on the kitchen table, he seemed completely at ease with the situation. Rogue spotted that Derec was also slumped against the corner his eyes focused on Layla, Wolfsbane had her strange body in a defensive position, whereas Layla had tears streaming down her face. Rogue felt extremely uncomfortable watching this; the strange wolf lady was protecting Derec but Derec was doing something to Layla.

'Leave her alone!' Rogue suddenly shouted at them, their heads whipped around, Wolfsbane's lip pulled back revealing two rows of sharp teeth. But Layla remained still more tears burning down her cheeks,'I mean it,' Rogue threatened violently, she pulled off her black glove and watched the shock dawn onto the other's faces. Layla suddenly gasped, her eyes darting rapidly before she ran out of the room. Rogue felt the urge to go after her but Wolfsbane and Derec glided past her, careful not to touch her skin. The door slamming resounded through the house. Sam whistled loudly,

'Wow, you sure know how to clear a room. Breakfast?' he asked coolly, Rogue narrowed her eyes at his relaxed behaviour.

'How can you not be worried about her?' She questioned, pulling up a chair at the table, 'She seemed really hurt,'

'She will be okay, there was nothing I could do. I couldn't interfere because Wolfsbane is a vicious fighter, we think that's why Eric bought her here,' Sam answered piling bread into the toaster.

'Speaking of which, where is Eric and John?' Rogue noticed that she had not seen the two since last night, her cheeks flushed slightly when she remembered John's confession.

'It's always questions with you isn't it?' Sam chuckled, he turned his back on her to spread butter on the fresh toast. Rogue thought that was all she was going to get out of him. She watched him carefully, his muscles were incredible and they rippled as he moved, yet he was so friendly and decisive; he knew exactly what he wanted and how he would do it. She thanked him when he joined her at the table, setting the toast in front of her.

'Eric trains us when he can, him and John are probably looking for others,' he suddenly said through a mouthful.

'What is it that you do Sam?' Rogue asked hesitantly.

'I can fly,' he replied simply. There was an uncomfortable pause,

'Is that it?'

'Well once I start, you can't stop me. You'll have to see it sometime,' he winked at her.

Rogue happily chewed her toast, feeling safe in this man's presence, he reminded her of Logan. She felt the toast ball up as she swallowed it uncomfortably, trying to push it past the lump in her throat. Logan had helped her when no-one else had, he was there when all hope was lost and he was the one who let her come here. As if on cue she heard the door open and two sets of footsteps enter the house.

'I need everyone in the kitchen now,' Eric declared to the quiet house. Cynthia strolled down the stairs tossing John a resentful glare, whilst Layla followed closely behind wiping the tears from her face. _Showing weakness in front of Eric must have only made things worse_, Rogue thought to herself as the other mutants joined her in the kitchen.

'Where is Derec and Wolfsbane?' Eric snapped. Rogue flinched at his obvious anger.

'They left about ten minutes ago,' Cynthia explained. Eric glanced at Sam, in which Sam nodded and left the room. A few minutes later he appeared behind the two horrific mutants.

_Wow that was fast, _Rogue noted the smirk on Sam's face.

When the whole room was finally gathered, they sat and waited for Eric's problem to be told.

'There's something wrong,' Eric announced to the awkward silence, 'We are being hunted and forcibly given the cure,'

'But that's illegal!' Layla interjected. Eric shot her a warning glance in which she silenced instantly.

'Not anymore, they have been working on a secret appeal that will deal with those who do not co-operate. We are seen in the eyes of some as not human; so we do not share the same rights as a human. They '_offer'_ us the cure and if we refuse they be able to take action,'

'That's ridiculous!' Sam practically shouted across the room.

'So what do we have to do?' Rogue found herself saying. John glanced worriedly at her, but then quickly covered it up, Rogue felt annoyed that John had considered her helpless. But Eric seemed pleased with Rogue's outburst.

'We need to move and attack them first,' Eric explained.

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One hour later Rogue found herself in her bedroom, folding her blanket in two. Eric had told them that they were leaving tonight and they had to be fully prepared for the outdoor conditions. Layla and Sam were thrilled with the prospect of camping out and traveling, John on the other hand had not spoken to Rogue since last night. Rogue was becoming irritated with his frosty silence, she remembered why he had aggravated her so much when he had first joined the x-men; he was rude, cocky and arrogant.

_I guess some things never change,_ she thought to herself as she jammed the blanket inside her bag. She had few essentials to carry and her bag was all ready packed so she sat on her bed gazing out the window.

'Hey Rogue,' Layla called, suddenly appearing at the door, 'Want to go shopping?'

'Huh?'

'Shopping, you know for travel clothes,' Layla herself was a little eccentric, she had a bright pink top matched with black combat trousers and black armbands across her wrist. Rogue expected at any moment she would suddenly jump on a skateboard and reveal herself as a professional dare devil.

'I don't really have much money,' Rogue fiddled with her gloves as she admitted this; she had never really had much money but saying it out loud made it sound worse.

'Oh, Eric will give you some. None of us have any money,' she snorted, 'we don't exactly work,' that was true, many people would not allow mutants to work under them; so many mutants would lie about their powers just to earn the money.

'Fine, when do we leave?'

'Now,' Layla laughed, skipping from the room, which instantly made Rogue wonder how old Layla actually was. True to her word Eric lent them fifty dollars each, Rogue stared at the money dumbfounded as they walked down the street. Layla seemed amused by her reaction, 'you look like you've never seen money before,' she laughed. The streets were yet again empty, but Layla knew where she was going. She lead Rogue down many different streets, although she may have normally complained, she felt the need to stretch her legs and allow the fresh air to soothe her lungs. They finally arrived on the corner of a street where a small store was facing towards them. 'It's not much, but it's reasonable,' Layla said, stalking straight into the shop.

The store was reasonably small, but the shelves were stacked with clothes, railings lined with t-shirts, trousers, everything and anything was in this shop. Layla skillfully picked at the loaded shelves and pushed Rogue into the changing room with an armful of clothes. 'Show me when your done,' she trilled as she yanked the curtain across. Rogue gingerly separated the clothes and began to change; she never really had a thing for shopping, but she never had anyone to take her. She kept her eyes averted from the mirror, she hated looking at her body; knowing that it was nothing more than a waste of skin. In the end she found two outfits she particularly liked; the first was a pair of black combats, similar to those that Layla was wearing, she thought of the to be suitable for traveling. Along with that she found a simple black leather jacket to match; she favoured this jacket very much.

Layla had all ready found her outfits; which were all paid for in their bags next to her. The second outfit was one that Layla had picked out; a pair of skinny black jeans and a grey, ruffled top. The top was low at the back and needed to be tied at the top, it bore a large red rose across the front.

'I can't wear that!' Rogue protested loudly.

'Of course you can, there's nothing wrong with it. You look gorgeous!' Layla insisted.

'But what if someone... You know.. touches me,'

'They're not going to touch you; everyone at home knows they can't touch your skin,' Rogue froze; Layla had referred to the flats as a home. She had never thought of it that way, 'John would like it,' Layla added quietly.

'Excuse me?' Rogue exclaimed, whipping her head round. Layla sighed,

'Oh come on Rogue, surely you've seen the way he looks at you,' She giggled slightly, 'and this would just set him on fire!'

Rogue gazed at her reflection, she had to admit the outfit did look fantastic on her and it fitted perfectly. She smirked at how John would react; she sighed dramatically,

'Okay then, let's buy it and get going,' she found herself smiling at Layla, in which Layla positively beamed back.

As they began the walk back laden with bags, Rogue and Layla chatted openly. Rogue felt so comfortable in her presence; she had never really had a close friend before, many people tended to shy away from her. Layla explained about how she had met Sam and Cynthia; they had met at a mutant meeting and they had traveled together but Cynthia still unnerved her slightly. On the mention of Cynthia Rogue explained what had happened the day before, of how Cynthia had touched her skin and nothing had happened to her.

'Wow, that's weird,' Layla noted,

'What is it that Cynthia can do?'

'Well, if she touches people she receives their memories. And she can store them in her mind. If she wants to she can manipulate your memories,' Layla explained. Rogue shivered slightly.

'But nothing happened to either of us when we touched,' Rogue interjected. Layla just stayed quiet, she did not know the answer to this either. Deep in thought Rogue remembered what had happened earlier on, 'Did it hurt this morning?' she blurted out, 'I mean what was happening to you,'

Layla took a second to cotton on and her face fell. 'Oh,' she muttered, 'I don't know. I couldn't see... I couldn't feel.. anything,'

Rogue fell silent feeling awkward for bringing that up, she cursed herself inwardly.

Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the ground began to shake, the houses next to them jolted violently. They quickened their pace until they rounded the corner, where a group of people stood outside their apartment. Layla froze suddenly,

'Oh shit. I think they found us,'

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**I'm going to put a link on my profile so you can see what Layla picked out for Rogue ;) x**


	8. Leaving

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**A/N: Here we go guys ;P**

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**_Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the ground began to shake, the houses next to them jolted violently. They quickened their pace until they rounded the corner, where a group of people stood outside their apartment. Layla froze suddenly,_**

**_'Oh shit. I think they found us,'_**

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**Chapter 8 - Leaving**

The group outside were wearing suits and ties; Rogue thought they were far too smart to be threatening, but Layla was backing away slowly.

'What are we supposed to do?' Rogue hissed worriedly. Layla just shook her head until they were out of view from the men. 'Layla they're wearing suits, maybe they are just here about the house,' Layla stared at her like she was insane, but Rogue ignored her and started her way back. She strode confidently towards the group of men, they each turned and stared at her.

'Can I help you gentlemen?' Rogue asked, putting on her most formal voice and stance. A short man stepped forward, he had red hair which was scraped down with a side parting,

'Yes we are looking for Mr. Eric Lehnsherr, do you know where we can find him?' he asked just as politely. Rogue realized she had made a mistake of taking on these men; they obviously had a connection with the mutant cure,

'Oh, he lives down the road,' Rogue lied smoothly, she yanked her thumb in the direction she had just came, 'If you follow the road down that way, it's opposite the train station,'

The men looked slightly unconvinced, but they began to leave, each tossing her a confused glance. Rogue thanked the heavens that she did not have those tattoos that the others sported; otherwise they would have spotted her as a mutant instantly. Layla seemed to appear out of no-where and was all ready running to the door, Rogue followed, the moment they were through the threshold Layla whipped to her,

'Are you stupid or something! Why did you do that! Didn't you see what they had under their coats?' She shouted. Rogue took a step back from this sudden burst of anger,

'What's wrong? I sent them the wrong way-'

'And what happens when they get there? They're just going to come straight back! They had more than guns Rogue! They could have killed you!' Rogue felt pathetic tears swelling behind her eyes. Pathetic, because no-one had shouted at her because they cared, she felt she had made a genuine friend with Layla; the temptation to hug her was too high. But Rogue kept her arms placed firmly at her sides. There was a clutter of sound and stamping, then suddenly every mutant was before her eyes.

'We heard them,' Sam explained. Eric was the last to appear,

'Thank you Rogue,' he said sincerely, 'We must leave, _now_,' They began to file through the door, Rogue fell back to the end. John waited patiently too, he handed over her black rucksack and left without saying a word. Rogue felt strange as she followed the progression of mutants. As they walked down the roads Rogue wondered how they looked to others, a line of people dressed almost all in black. Maybe people would assume they were attending to a funeral and would let them carry on. Maybe some would instantly know they were not human and call the police. Rogue felt like the whole world was against her. She hurried to keep up with the others. Eric was leading the way, moving swiftly even for an old man. She felt like the roads were never ending, the buildings that rose aside of them were becoming more spaced and more broken. She understood then, that they were leaving the city behind them and heading through the countryside. When the houses were barely rubble around them and the concrete road was turning to dirt, the company began to slow.

'We're being followed,' announced a gravelly voice unrecognized to Rogue. It turned out to be Derec; Rogue wondered how this gangly man could even form a word.

'Thank you Derec,' Eric muttered, 'We need to move into the forest. The councils are situated south from here,' Rogue waited for more instructions but instead Eric turned right and began his brisk walk away. The company automatically following him.

_Like moths to a flame,_ Rogue thought bitterly, walking after them. Rogue had never been outside of this city; she had traveled before but this area was new to her. They headed far out into the hills until the city was far to the left of them. Rogue could see the city stretching before her; the glistening sea settled behind, the golden sun slowly sinking into it.

'Who were those people?' She asked, hurrying forward to talk to Layla.

'Not sure but they must have something to do with the cure,' Layla muttered, hitching her rucksack against her shoulder. There was a slight bitterness to her voice, Rogue guessed Layla was still upset that she had not listened to her earlier; so she fell back again, feeling useless. Rogue was beginning to feel the tiredness setting in, she barely noted where they were walking. Although it only seemed like minutes until they were surrounded by pine trees, stretching to the sky. Being in the forest made it more difficult to walk, the roots twisted beneath them, branches were stooping lower. This whole process slowed them down. It was not until the sun had gone down when they finally stopped. A small clearing set out before them, Rogue could barely see but the others began darting around, setting up tents and starting fires. A few drops of rain bean to fall, dripping carelessly onto her face. It was going to be a rough night... Before Rogue could put her bag down a tent popped up before her eyes,

'There you go Rogue, this is your tent,' Sam said, heading off in the other direction, 'Oh and by the way, you're on second watch!' he threw back over his shoulder. Second watch? What was that? Rogue pulled the zip down and fumbled into her tent. She was secretly thrilled that she had a tent to herself; even if they were small. A tiny lamp in the corner allowed a dull glow in the tent. Rolling out her bed she felt her stomach growl violently, she was starving but she was not in the mood for eating. She tried to move her mind somewhere else, lying down on the bed seemed to help. Even though the ground was bumpy she was reasonably comfortable. Maybe shutting her eyes would make it more relaxing...

'Rogue? Rogue!' A voice hissed, the tent began flapping against the wind and the rain was splattering wildly against it.

Rogue bolted upright to a figure struggling with the zip of her tent; she almost let out a scream until she heard the voice again, 'For fuck's sake Rogue, will you let me in or not!' John.

Rogue jumped forward and yanked the zip up, allowing John to scramble through. As she returned the zip, she realized why he had been struggling, it was pitch black outside and the weather made it even worse, it's a wonder he could see at all. As she turned to face him he silently handed her a bag. The bag was filled with food for her, sentiment brushed past her until she noticed John's eyes were fixed on his feet. So this is how it was going to be,

'What the hell is wrong with you?' She suddenly blurted out. His eyes snapped up to hers questioningly, 'What's with the silent treatment John?'

'I don't know what you're on about,' he muttered, sitting back against the tent.

'You don't look at me, you don't talk to me, and when you do you just shout!' The words tumbled from her mouth ridiculously. What made it even worse was that John remained silent, just staring at her in awe, 'What do you want from me John?' She asked after the silence.

'This is the problem, it's always been the problem,' he said quietly, 'I want to help you but you don't want it from me. I don't want you to fight and yet you go beyond your strengths to join in,' As he spoke he was inching closer towards her, she could see the rain had soaked his hair, the dull glow from the lamp made his face look warm and welcoming. Were those tears forming behind his eyes? Or just were the rain had fallen on his face? 'And after all of this, I know you won't want to stay. I know you will go back... because you always do. I'll never be right for you,' Before Rogue could stop it, his lips were on hers. All the tension as released, she could feel his emotions; the pain, the worry, the heartache. Her body acted instinctively as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips moved slowly although his arms were holding her tightly against him. She could feel the flames boiling inside her.

All too soon he pulled back, choking for breath and blinking wildly. His face was pale and Rogue knew she had held on for too long, but he shook his head regaining composure and slid out of the tent. Rogue fell back against her pillow, the rain that bounced off the tent thrummed in her ears. Her lips were tingling and she was panting slightly and she knew despite how good that felt, she should not have done it.

Too confused to sleep, she pulled herself upright and began to eat some bread she found in the bag. All her hunger was gone but she needed the energy and swallowed it reluctantly. She chewed and chewed, forcing herself to swallow and after what felt like a decade the zip on her tent began to ascend. Her heart began pumping and her stomach churned, but Sam's face popped through the tent flaps,

'Hey Rogue, ready for second watch?' He whispered as if he were waking her up. She just nodded and yanked a jacket from her bag zipping it right up and pulling on her hood. Sam helped her carefully out of the tent before she was hit by the wind. It whipped carelessly around her face, threatening to push her back. But Sam stood before her, towering against the wind as if it were a small breeze, the only thing that gave it away was his blonde hair flying wildly in the air. Rogue managed a small smile whilst she trudged along after him, there were eight small tents like hers spread amongst the clearing, each with their own yellow glow. Rogue wondered which one was John's, which one he would be sitting in now, thinking of what he had done...

'Okay all you have to do is walk around the perimeter and keep watch!' Sam suddenly bellowed against the wind. They had stopped on the outside of the clearing and Sam was pointing the circle around for her to follow. Before he left, he bent down and gave her a small hug. The jacket meant he was safe from her skin but she kept her hands down and ducked her face in her hood just in case. He shot her a knowing glance before shouting, 'It's okay you know, it's all gonna work out!' After that he disappeared into one of the nearby tents, leaving Rogue frozen to the spot. Did he know? Or was he referring to the fight? She began her trace around the wide circle, following the circling of her mind.

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A/N: Well did you like it? :) I have to say this is probably my favorite chapter lol :D Let me know what you guys think!


	9. Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do not own X-men.**

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He shot her a knowing glance before shouting, 'It's okay you know, it's all gonna work out!' After that he disappeared into one of the nearby tents, leaving Rogue frozen to the spot. Did he know? Or was he referring to the fight? She began her trace around the wide circle, following the circling of her mind.

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**Chapter 9: Darkness.**

Rogue could feel her feet sinking into the mud as she trudged around the clearing. How long had she been walking for, three hours? Five? She had lost all sense of time. Her legs were aching and her eyes were sore, but her feet carried on moving. Surely someone should have been out to relieve her of her duty. But no, hours of walking and still no-one. She glanced longingly at the tents in the middle of the clearing, each with it's own warm, welcoming glow. She pulled up her gloves mindlessly hating the wet feel. The wind had thankfully subsided, but the rain still fell relentlessly, blurring her vision. She hated this feeling; like she had never been more alone in her life. She missed home, she missed the school, she missed her friends. Tightening her jacket around her, she marched on. Somehow her mind flitted back to John, yet again his mysterious ways had her confused. Why had he kissed her? There was too much meaning behind it that Rogue was too scared to decipher. She sighed quietly to herself, wondering why her life had to be so difficult.

All of a sudden something caught her eye, far ahead in the trees. Rogue stopped abruptly. It couldn't be.. But no, there it was again. A flash of light crossed through the trees. Her body froze, no-one could have found them here, they were too far out, they were moving too quickly. After a few seconds Rogue gazed around, confirming there was nothing and carried on moving. She must have been more tired than she expected. Then the light flashed again, this time closer and to her left. Instinctively Rogue twisted on her heel and headed towards the place where she had seen the flash. She knew it was stupid to wonder from the camp but she was only stepping out for a minute; if she needed to come back all she had to do was walk backwards. With this in her head she walked into the trees. Under the canopy of trees the rain was thinning. Rogue could see the light more clearly; it had stopped and was facing down, suspended in mid-air. Rogue pulled down her hood, as she took a few more steps, to get a closer look. A torch was hanging from the bottom tree branch. Confused she reached up to pull it down, as her fingers stretched towards it a large blow hit her on the side of the face. Her legs buckled as the force smashed her into the ground, her scream winded as she hit the floor. She pushed against the ground and jumped to her feet, poised for attack. The man was in pain but he flew at her, she punched him hard in the jaw throwing him off slightly. His stunned reaction gave her time to whip off her glove. She ran at him bringing her hand across his face, knocking him clear off his feet. On the floor the large man rolled in obvious agony, his face screwed up but his shouts were deafening. The forest was suddenly alive. Movement, flashing, voices. Rogue darted as fast as she could back to camp, screaming her lungs out as she went. Ahead she could see the mutants emerging from their tents angry and confused.

'Rogue MOVE!' Layla suddenly screamed, Rogue dived sideways scraping her knees across the ground as the sound of gunshot fired over her. This couldn't be happening, her legs shook violently as she stumbled into the clearing. But the mutants around her were at full alert; they moved with such precision, as if they were prepared for this happening. She watched as Sam shot up into the air at incredible speed; he was not joking about his unstoppable speed. Derec's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he floated towards the trees. Layla and Blindspot ran together, hoisting themselves up on branches and knocking men out of the trees. Rogue was horrified, they had been surrounded all this time and she had not noticed. Her eyes flew across the disaster, John was the only one who stood motionless like her. Their eyes locked and he strode towards her, but no words came from his mouth as he passed her. Was he expecting her to follow him, or was he just continuing his ignorance?

Flames suddenly flew up from the dying embers of the fire, they reached out and licked the trees setting the clearing on fire. Somehow Rogue felt her feet uproot from the spot as she began to follow John into the burning forest. She did not care if he did not want her to follow him, she needed some help. Her heart was pounding as she hurried after John. In the darkness she was terrified and found herself longing to grip his hand, she needed his reassurance as they ran through the night, trying to find their way out.

Rogue tried her hardest to keep John in her sights. He was moving so quickly it was a wonder he knew where he was going. They narrowly avoided tree trunks but the low branches scratched against her face. She wondered how the others would fight for themselves, she had never seen them with any training. She tried to remember her sessions with the x-men; each stance, each defence and each attcack. She watched the back of John's head as he suddenly threw himself onto the forest flooring. Her knees bent to follow him but she was not quick enough. A body came hurling from the trees flattening her against the ground. She struggled beneath the weight, gasping for breath. None of her skin was free to drain him, she was left die from lack of oxygen. But the weight was suddenly thrown from her; she choked on the oxygen pouring into her lungs. The smell of the forest floor was a thrill to her.

'Rogue, Rogue! Get up quickly!' Layla was suddenly there, pulling Rogue up by her elbow, the jacket protecting her skin.

'Where's John?' Rogue choked, pulling herself up.

'It doesn't matter, we need to get out there's too many of them!' Layla cried, tugging Rogue with a stronger force than seemed possible.

'No, I need John where is he!' Rogue shouted back. She had lost him once and she did not want to loose him again. There was a sudden _thud_ and Layla was on the forest floor; her blonde hair fanned out and her body shook violently. Rogue screamed, as she reached for Layla's body another shot sounded through her ears, her head flew around, trying to trace the source of the noise. A man stepped out from the darkness of the trees, it was the man she had seen earlier. His shirt was ripped and his red hair was no longer scraped to the side, but falling thickly around his head. His eyes were black as he glared at Rogue. In his hand was a silver gun with a sharp needle sticking from the end. On the ground Layla had the same point sticking from her chest. Rogue tossed a sparing glance towards Layla's form, her blue eyes were shut and she was not moving. Was she dead? Her attention snapped back to the strange man, who had taken a step closer towards her.

'Get away from me!' Rogue shouted helplessly. She needed to get close to drain his skin but if she moved he would shoot. She took a hesitant step forward and heard the gun lock,

'Don't move an inch, freak,' he spat. Unexpectedly, a flame flew through the trees catching against the man's shirt. The man hollered, shaking to try and kill the flames but it just grew. His panic rose as he spun around, tripping on a tree root. The gun flew from his hand; but Rogue did not see this, she only saw John emerging from the trees his brown hair dishevelled, flames balling from his hands. His brown eyes were the last thing she saw, a sharp blow hit her in the arm and she blacked out.

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A/N: Ooooh! Sorry it's taken so long to update guys, things have been hectic at school, what with the exams piling up :/ anyway I hope you liked this chapter, a bit of action for you :) I'm not really sure how many chapters are left, but i'm pretty sure we're closing in to the end soon. Thanks x


	10. Get Me Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own x-men.**

_'Don't move an inch, freak,' he spat. Unexpectedly, a flame flew through the trees catching against the man's shirt. The man hollered, shaking to try and kill the flames but it just grew. His panic rose as he spun around, tripping on a tree root. The gun flew from his hand; but Rogue did not see this, she only saw John emerging from the trees his brown hair dishevelled, flames balling from his hands. His brown eyes were the last thing she saw, a sharp blow hit her in the arm and she blacked out. _

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**Chapter 10: Get Me Out**

When Rogue opened her eyes she was sure she was dead. Almost positive. The white light was blinding her eyes. All her thoughts were drifting calmly around her head, she had never felt so relaxed in her entire life. Yet she was surprisingly comfortable, she turned her head slightly, her eyes fluttering open and saw she was in a room...

_Wait.. what?_

Her eyes flitted around, yep she was definitely in a room. It was purely white; white walls, white floor, white bed covers. It reminded her of a hospital, except there were no windows and only a white door opposite her bed. Rogue pushed herself up on her elbows, glancing down she noticed she had red marks all over her arms, wires locked onto pads were stuck across her chest. What had they done to her?

She began yanking the wires from her body, throwing her blanket off, she jumped off the bed. Someone had changed her clothes and she was wearing a over-large white gown. She felt ashamed, there were no gloves to protect her hands. She desperately wanted her leather gloves, but first she needed to get out of this weird place, wearing an awful gown was not going to stop her.

Rogue strode a few steps across the room and reached for the bronze door knob. She expected something to happen, anything. But nothing occurred, no alarms, no sirens, no flashing lights, the door opened easily into a long corridor. She twisted her head side-ways and darted out into the hallway. It was strangely silent, she trotted lightly to the end of the corridor towards a window. Through the faded glass she saw an average city street, she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that she was safe,

_Sort of.._ she added mentally. Daringly, she cupped her hands against the window and squinted at the pavement. Littered across the floor were banners and picket signs all stating the same thing,

_'We don't need a cure,' _

She could practically hear the chants echoing in her ears, but the pavement below her was empty. No-one knew she was there.

'I have to get out,' she whispered quietly to herself.

'Excuse me,' a male voice called, Rogue froze. A large man was walking towards her, at least six foot tall, wearing a doctor's coat with a stethoscope wrapped around his shoulders. 'Why are you out of bed?' he stopped a few feet from her, his eyebrows rising expectantly.

'Where am I?' Rogue's voice was hoarse, her hands were shaking. The doctor noticed, his eyes washing over her carefully.

'The virus you were infected with has been cured. You are in hospital, resting,' he added, indicating his head to the door she had left open. Rogue felt as if he had punched her in the face, she felt as if she had fell down twelve flights of stairs and was gasping wildly on the floor with no-one there to help. Unexpectedly she felt her foot lurch forward, her head span threatening to knock her out.

'Woah there,' the doctor said, reaching out and steadying her. She could feel his smooth fingers brushing across her skin as he let her go, his eyes studying her, he really was concerned.. 'Are you okay?' Rogue's breath hitched, he had touched her and nothing had happened, she longed to touch him again, the feeling of skin brushing together was alien to her.

'Who bought me here?' The words tumbled from her mouth before she even intended on speaking them. The doctor scratched his head, crinkling his eyes as he tried to remember,

'Um... a small group of people, they refused to give us any names,' Rogue breathed a sigh of relief, the brotherhood of mutants must have bought her here. She was going to be okay,

'When was this?' She asked, staring intently at his tanned skin.

'About four days ago, but no-one has been back for you,'

Another flight of stairs for her to fall down, this time someone was kicking her at the bottom. The doctor stared at her, a confused look painted across his face, 'The only information we were given was that you desperately wanted the mutant cure,' he continued, 'But you haven't moved for days and we were beginning to get worried; this is the first time you have made any...'

'What did the people look like!' She shouted, cutting over him completely.

'Well, they could have been smart, all of them were male, in suits. But they looked as if they had been running through a forest. Mud, leaves everywhere, drove the cleaners nuts,' he gave a short, humourless laugh. An attempt to lighten the conversation. Rogue did not even accept this in her mind, she pushed past him and stormed towards a flight of stairs to her left.

'Wait! Hey! Where are you going!' He shouted after her. She began to run down the stairs, tears were spilling over, she did not even try to stop them. This time she was alone, the brotherhood were gone, those _freaks _in the forest had bought her here for the cure. A sob broke free and her chest shook violently, but she carried on running. She would not be left again this time. She could feel the bumps on her hand from the banister as she turned for the fifth time to keep going down.

'Those bastards!' she shrieked. She was completely aware that the doctor was following her, shouting after her to slow down. Now he must have thought she was completely nuts, but she did not care, she felt like flinging herself down the rest of the stairs, it just was not worth it any more. Suddenly she came face to face with a large door, the flooring had turned into deep red carpeting, perfect for a lobby. Pushing the doors open, she marched into the lobby, she spotted the revolving doors ahead of her and began to run again. She just wanted to get out, to feel the wind brushing against her face, to find John...

'Rogue! ROGUE!' a familiar voice shouted. She immediately twisted on her heel, almost causing her to topple over. Standing by the foyer was a handsome man, his black jacket loosely hung around his structure. His brown eyes were red rimmed with dark circles underneath, wide in complete disbelief. His brown hair was messed beyond belief, sticking up in random places.

'John!' she cried, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around him. Holding him tightly, 'John, John, John,' she whispered repeatedly, never wanting to hear his name leave her lips. She felt his hands pulling her tighter into his form. 'Please don't leave me, don't leave me, I don't want to be alone any more,' she sobbed into his shoulder.

'Shhh, it's okay Rogue,' he whispered into her ear, his warm breath comforting to her as he kissed her neck lightly. 'I'm here, I'm not going anywhere,' he sounded as if he was reassuring himself more than her. She ran her hands around his neck, through his hair, revelling in the softness that flowed across her fingertips. Rogue pulled her face back, staring into the eyes of the one who she had needed all this time. His finger ran through her single white strand of hair and gently caressed her face,

'Rogue, how come I'm touching you and nothing is happening?' He asked softly, still touching her face, a slight look of disbelief in his eyes.

'They gave me the _cure_,' the word came out venomously, and John stiffened slightly.

'We need to get you to Eric,' he stated bluntly,'He will help,'

His eyes locked back onto hers and he leaned closer, his lips tracing hers as he murmured, 'I won't ever let you go again Rogue,' She felt her knees go weak at his touch, she did not care who was watching, she basked in his warmth, a moment burning itself into her memory.

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**A/N: I'm thinking.. one more chapter to go guys :) Feedback much appreciated x**


	11. Alive or Dead

**Disclaimer : I do not own X-men. Never have, never will.**

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_His eyes locked back onto hers and he leaned closer, his lips tracing hers as he murmured, 'I won't ever let you go again Rogue,' She felt her knees go weak at his touch, she did not care who was watching, she basked in his warmth, a moment burning itself into her memory._

**Chapter 11: Alive or dead.**

How could she not have seen it before. Someone who she never intended to have feelings for suddenly had her heart in a cold, metal vice grip. John hailed a cab and sat reassuringly stroking her hand in the back. The taxi driver sat just as silently as them as they drove down the unfamiliar, crowded streets. Rogue still could not believe she was brushing skin with John, the feel of it was so warm, so soft, she never knew she had been missing out on so much. John's dark eyes betrayed no emotion as the taxi suddenly pulled up outside a hotel. John whipped a silver phone to his ear, muttering words as he helped Rogue from the taxi. She focused hard on what he was saying but could only hear a few words over the city sounds.

'...Got her... inside? … bring her up... one minute...' Before she knew it she was standing inside a grand hotel lobby, the insides glistened gold the lush carpeting a deep red. John took her elbow gently, as if aiding an old frail lady towards the lifts. Rogue saw her reflection in the silver lift and began to worry. Her face was sickly pale, her hair filthy and bedraggled – no wonder why John was guiding her concernedly. The doors slid open with a _Ding!_ Removing her reflection and revealing the interior of the tiny lift.

Rogue watched the numbers lighting up as they reached floor number 7. John's hand was smooth in hers as he towed her down the corridors, finally halting at a brown door, branded '122'. He rapped his knuckles against the door, then slid inside quickly. Rogue followed closing the door behind her.

'Oh rogue thank god!' A voice cried, she felt a small weight wrapping around her the moment she had stepped inside. Layla was hugging her tightly; she looked just as bad as John, he blonde hair was roughly tied up, her face seemed to be covered in scratches but they looked weeks old. Rogue pushed her back and peered at the scars,

'Layla, those scratches look ancient but it was only a few days ago-,'

'Can't kill me Rogue,' she cut over her, wiping a tear from her eye. She winked her blue eye playfully, 'Resurrector, remember?' Layla pulled her back into another hug, 'It's so good to have you back,'

'You can let her go now Layla, we need a serious chat,' a calm voice stated from across the room. With Layla now detached from her, Rogue could finally take in the room; it was small, simple one bedroomed hotel room. On the chair in front of her sat Eric, his face aged but completely un-phased with her arrival. John had taken his place beside him, looking like a guard dog, Rogue felt her heart plummet.

'Layla would you please check out for us?' He ordered softly, flicking an imaginary piece of dust off the side of his armchair. Layla instantly understood his silent demand and left the room, clicking the door shut.

'Where are the others?' Rogue questioned, taking an unsteady step towards them.

'Dead - maybe. We couldn't find them,' Eric replied in a bored tone. Rogue flinched in disgust. Eric considered those who were no longer mutant, were no longer alive, so where did that place her?

Eric leaned his frail body forwards slightly,

'But _you_ Rogue, you mean something to my family,' he continued, ignoring her reaction. 'And I understand John is fond of you,' at this point John's face flushed red, but he did not interrupt his "master's" speech. 'But you are dead inside, we all know this. Point is, to stay in my family you need to be alive. I have my ways of resurrecting you,' he indicated to the door which Layla had just fled through, 'But the process is slow and tiring. I wonder Rogue, do you want to join my family or return to your death?' His face lifted in genuine curiosity. Rogue awaited her answer just as curious. It was true, she had managed to slot into the brotherhood easily, she had found herself, more importantly she had found John. Yet there were others out there, the "good" side, but their methods were not as different as Eric's. She bit her lip, clearly frustrated,

'I want to live,' the words tumbled from her mouth before she even registered them. Eric nodded slowly, a small smile on his lips. John's brown eyes were lit up, but he refused to show his excitement.

'Excellent my dear!' Eric smiled, clapping his hands together as he stood, ' bring the bags down when you're finished,' he added to John, before swiftly leaving the room. It still astonished Rogue by how fluid he could move for an old man. John was in front of her before she had time to move.

'Thank you,' he whispered seriously.

'You know, I still don't know what the hell I'm doing,' Rogue replied meekly. John drew closer to her, his grin lighting up his face.

'Too many drugs?' he chuckled lightly. His lips pressed gently against hers before he drew back looking at her quizzically, 'Did I ever tell you I love you?'

'Might of mentioned it,' Rogue joked, shrugging her shoulders. His lips were back against hers again, his hands wrapping around her waist as he pulled her tightly against him.

'I love you,' he whispered against her lips. Rogue felt faint with delight, her heart was hammering fast. She was a new person, her life was being kick-started for the final time. She was completely different from the girl who had left the x-men.

She was a mutant and she was proud.

**The End.**

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**A/N : Well that's the end guys, sorry its a bit short but i just feel like that sums it up (aha) thankyou to all of you guys who favorited and alerted this story - i'm glad you liked my attempt at Rogue & Pyro fanfic :) x**


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